S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org

E D I T O R I A L
NEW YORK, JULY 23, 1913.
_ PRESSURE ON DENOMINATIONS.
We have already set forth some- of the
work of the Edinburgh Continuation Committee
pressing into one the churches in the
Mission fields, as in the Near East, as
semblies that include the Copts, the Greeks,
the Catholics (as far as they can be led.)
Of course, the Pope will tolerate no rival.
The following account is given by the Missionary
Review of the World of the assembly
in China, wherein the tinge of authority appears.
The bands are forming.
"John R. Mott, representing the Edinburgh Continuation
Committee, held flve sectional conferences
with the missionaries in various parts of
China, and, finally, March 11 to 14 conducted a
national conference in Shanghai. Delegates came
from the churches of the whole nation, and canvassed
the results so far obtained in the evangelization
of the Chinese people and the principles
upon which the further development of the missionary
enterprise in that land must be prosecuted.
There were 120 mission representatives, twothirds
foreigners and one-third Chinese. It was
agreed that under present circumstances no one
can say precisely how muoh ol 'China remains yet
to be evangelized, but the provinces of Yunnan,
Kwang«i, and Kweichew in the extreme southwestern
portion of the country and Kansuh in the
northwest are as yet almost untouched. Mongolia,
an especially difficult field, has scarcely ten
missionaries in all its vast extent. Eastern
Turkestan, an immense area, is occupied in only
three centers in the extreme west, .around Kashgar.
Tibet has not been entered at all, although
five or six missions are working along its borders
and ready to take the first opportunity of
pressing into the country. A survey of the entire
Chinese fieldis to be made and a mapping of
districts yet untouched is requested immediately.
It was voted that- no' mission should hereafter enter
any occupied district without the full consent
ol the forces already on the ground. The
conference spoke with positiveness in favor of a
single missionary church in China, eliminating all
Western denominational lines. Even pending actual
organic union, it was urgently recommended
that all churches should discard every distinctive
name and assume only the single title, The Christian
Church in China. Churches which already
enjoy intercommunion were urged to combine at
once, while federation, local and provincial, was
recommended where churches felt unable to surrender
denominational peculiarities. A hymnal
for all union churches and a book ol prayer lor
voluntary use of public worship were ordered prepared
by committees appointed. It was also recommended
that the Chinese be received to a
share in the administration of foreign funds used
for the support of their churches; that church
buildings as far as possible should be built on
ground not owned by the missions; and that
Chinese congregations should be encouraged to
send representatives to local and district organizations."
So far for the Foreign field. How about
the Home Field? There is the Episcopal
movement, with the World Conference, the
plans for which are under way. Therein
looms up the Historic Episcopate, for the
THE CHRISTIAN NATION. Vol. 69.
unifying head, asi witness the proceedings in
the India assembly of the Continuation Committee.
Strange to say, a special committee of
the Southern Presbyterian Church is working
for Presbyterian union on a new line.
Dr. Thornton Whaling writes in The Continent,
as from headquarters. The following is
from a notice in the Presbyterian of July
9:
"This special committee presented a scheme of
federation by a Congress, composed of two houses
—a senate and a house of representatives. The
senators to be equal in number from each body
represented in the lederatlon, and the house to
be composed of representatives elected on a certain
numerical basis. This, of course, is after the
general analogy ol our National Congress. This
plan was relerred to the next Assembly.
We do not like the spirit ol the last paragraph
of Dr. Whaling's article in The Continent. It
is as follows:
'This plan is the only one which at present is
in the field of practical ecclesiastics. The left
wing in all the Churches wants union, the right
wing wishes to be left alone, the center is willing
to move, but move slowly. The left wing will
take this measure, because it can get nothing else;
the right wing had better take it, or it will get
something worse; while the real center will move
forward along the path of this plan, confident of
being guided aright today, and leaving to the future
and to the great Head of the Church the decision
as to what further steps may be taken at
a later day."
"This paragraph has the smell of powder ahd
force.
"The centre is to rule, and the left wing and
right wing are to submit. The one because it
can get nothing better, and the other because it
may get something worse."
Out of all this human planning the Divine
Spirit may bring something of service
to the Kingdom of God. The Witnessing
Church in Scotland stood out for the Headship
of Christ and the independence of his
Church, from Bishop, Pope, or King; and the
Church today must be on her guard.
Internation C. E. Convention.—With nearly 13,-
000 delegates attending from all parts of the Christianized
world, the 26th Ihternational Christian
Endeavor Convention opened at Los Angeles, Cal.
on the evening of July 9. The multitude was seated
in the gigantic canvas auditorium amid semitropic
scenes—a copy of Southern California outof-doors
carried bodily inside. Palm tree vistas
served for aisles, and vines concealed the supporting
pillars.
Francis E. Clark of Washington, D. C, the president
of the organization, presided. A chorus of
TOO voices joined in the service of praise.
President Wilson's message of greeting read:
"It would be a great pleasure to me if I could
attend the convention. Will you not convey to
those assembled my warmest greetings and my
sincere wishes for the happy success of their
work."
Secretary Bryan wrote in part: "As you know,
I feel deeply interested in the Christian Endeavor
movement, and appreciate its extended growth and
great usefulness. It is one ol our largest instrumentalities
lor Christian service, and I feel sure
its luture labors will surpass its present activities."
Dr. Francis E. Clark, founder of the society,
was unanimously re-elected president.
ECHOES-FKO'M PORTLAND.
"It is • difficult to transport a scene over
3,cxx3 miles without losing something, and I
very much regret that this brief resume of
the Portland Conference is apt to lose enthusiasm
by the transportation. It is compiled
from a report written by R. B. Perry
of Atchison, Kansas. Sd writes ^iss Florence
B. O'Neill.—Ed.
It is with feelings of profoutid gratitude
to God Almighty, to the distinguished men
vvho have addressed us, and to the good people
of Portland who have entertained us,
that the delegates separate, as the Second
World's Christian Citizenship Conference
closes. The Conference opened on July 29th
with a large meeting in the stadiiim, and addresses
of welcome to hundreds of delegates
were given by Governor West of Oregon,
Mayor-elect H. R. Allbee of Portland,. Hon.
Chas. E. Wolverton, Judge of the U. S. District
Court, District of Oregon, and Hon. T.
J. Cleeton, County and Probate Judge of
Multnomah County Court, and the response
to these addresses of welcome was made by
Dr. James S. Martin, General Supt. of the*
National Reform Association. With slight'
exception the weather has been propitious and
the places of meeting wdl adapted to our
purpose. Afternoon and evening sessions have'
been held in a large stadium, and three churches
opened their auditoriums for three sectional
conferences meeting simultaneously in the
n-^orning, discussing the following topics:'
The Family, Peace, Capital and Labor, Pub-'
lie Education, Prison Reform, Intemperance,
Social Purity, Immigration, The Sabbath',-
Mormonism. Each conference had a commission
at length after careful investigation
through an authoritative Chairman, and after':
expert speakers, they concluded with puiblicdiscussion.
The audiences have been large,
the sectional conferences running high up in--
to the hundreds while the stadium speakers;
have addressed thousands that have been at-;
tentive and responsive, and often has the;
spirit of enthusiasm been almost beyond con-'
trol. All addresses were of a high order,!
well worthy of preservation and careful
study, and the public press of Portland.has
been most generous in the space they have
given to the Conference in their columns. -,
A broad and comprehensive program chal-..
lenged our attention, discussing almost every;
phase of Christian Citizenship and Human.
Welfare. Seldom have so many leaders of,
world thought oome together on the same
platform from all ends of the earth—Ame"'
ca, Europe, Asia, and the Isiles of the Sea,
all having been represented. The Conference
was unanimous in the resolve that certain
things in our body politics must go.
Chiefest of these are the saloon, the social
evil, the white slave traffic, easy divorce, industrial
injustice, excessive child labor, and
Mormonism, and on the other hand we are also
profoundly convinced that certain time-lion-